When it comes to human rights, US barks up the wrong tree

Some Western countries have spared no efforts in smearing China's human rights record in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, alleging that Beijing monitors ethnic groups there and infringes upon their human rights and religious freedom. Some US politicians have even warned American businesses to think twice before doing business in Xinjiang.

Yet actions speak louder than words. The right to good life is the cardinal principle of human rights, and Xinjiang residents, not foreigners, have the right to speak on human rights issues in the region.

Let us consider some facts. The GDP of Xinjiang increased from 3.9 billion yuan ($567.71 million) in 1978 to 1.2 trillion yuan in 2018, and per capita GDP from 313 yuan to 48,000 yuan, growing 294 and 153 times respectively. The ethnic minority groups' right to use the mother tongue is fully protected and their languages are widely used in legislation, administration, education, publishing, broadcasting, and public affairs. And 52 of the 110 newspapers and 120 of the 200 magazines published in Xinjiang are in ethnic minority languages.